Week 6 Video Teaching Reflection

Well after many technology problems and finding the time during my student teachers time to video, I got it done. Sorry for the delay- the timing was just not working out. 

Reflection on my video of me teaching:

How do I feel the lesson went prior to watching the film- Well considering I had already tried to film myself teaching the previous 2 hours, but couldn’t figure out why the camera kept shutting off while I was teaching. Well you know what they say, 3^rd time was the charm- I figured out that my camera would only record 20 minute segments.  Overall I felt that the lesson went as well as I could have expected. We had some noise troubles and we were rushed at the end, but I felt like they were still engaged in spite of their noise level. So we shall see…

How I feel the lesson went after watching myself teach-  The first part here are my observation notes I took while watching my 50 minute lesson - I like that since they came in loud, I was followed them in and said “Oh, I asked you to come in quietly” and they all got very quiet. Free sit craziness. Good demo. Loud working in the start- high 5- lost quiet voice friends. 2^nd warning about inside voices- a lot of loud voices in this class and they all congregated around the table closest to the camera. I like that I traveled around the room to work on my page with them- worked as a classroom management technique. Warning to that table of boys- probably should have gotten out the cups to help with volume. 3^rd warning about voices in about 15 minutes. Then if you are already done, thank you for waiting quietly. Make the kids bring up the texture plates to keep moving- kids coming up loud, I keep asking them to do it quietly. Video stops and I don’t know it until after I have done another instruction segment. When video comes back on they are much quieter, and I have given them a short time limit so they are focused and working hard. I am pushing the kids more this time- giving quick bits of direction or motivation every 30-45 seconds. I talk a lot over the group. Walking around while cutting… great example Schotte! I should go to the child to tell them something, not talk across my room like I did with E.  But my constant interruption seems to be helping them get quieter to hear my direction. Give them more steps of instruction- they are starting to get loud, Again I warn the whole class but especially 3 and 4 tables. I can see two students quietly fighting over something and immediately I’m over to their table getting involved. I make them look through their pieces to see who has ones similar to the one they are fighting over. I’m positive it matches the girls’ rectangles, not the boys’. Then he yells right in my face about it. But I calming asking him not to yell, I handled the situation very quietly between the three of us. And I ended up keeping the piece so that there wouldn’t be a fight.  Okay problem solved let’s do another demo and transition. Now the boy is getting rude to his neighbor, I simply said, “It is done, now you need to drop it, understand?”  On to the demo- I’m pleased with how many people I am catching looking elsewhere. Ha without even looking up from my demo (I guess I could see him from the corner of my eye) I said, “My friend who is jumping, please stop and move to a place you can see… Nice. But later I must being doing a good job ignoring the kid that is behind me, jumping up on my chair, now he is missing I guess behind me on the floor. Maybe I need assigned spots during demo because I doubt he is getting any of this. Then I only give them 5 minutes to glue. At this point we are rushing to get this step done- I ask them to help others when they are done. I can hear my student teacher has come back in the room and he also is working with students. It helps having two hands for this project. Many are done early and I have them start cleaning up and stacking chairs to give them something to do. They are a little crazy during cleanup and some of the kids are moving so slowly- this class is full of all different paces of groups. During the final clean up I have to pull my friend aside again for throwing a wash rag against the wall. They finally get in line and get quiet. Closing statement- I cannot see them in the camera, but I hear myself asking them to look forward and control their bodies in line. I explain that they will not be getting their spot to them and their teacher, because It was their free sit day and they were too loud, had trouble following directions and listen. I say, “I know you had your free sit today, but it is still your job to be a hard working artist, use our inside voices and listen.”  

After watching myself teach this lesson I kept thinking- I need to smile more. I also feel that I was way too lenient on this class with their noise level. I’m guessing if we would have had a minute of heads down or use a few other talking strategies, maybe they would have been more focused. I was pleased with myself and how I handled the situation with a student who kept causing a bit of trouble (he happens to be the one I wrote the student perspective on). As for my goals I had so many that I needed to group them down. So to focus on one particular goal- I want to be better about reframing the learning situation- and doing in action rather than after the lesson. I was able to step back during my lesson and say, okay the kids are loud yes, but why? Well they have a free sit (earned reward of no seating chart that day) therefore they will be loud when with friends, and there are 26 of them in this class. I noticed that they were working hard, and when they weren’t I would go to that particular student and chat with them, get them back on track. However I feel like this is just brushing the surface of learning how to reframe learning situations. I think my final statement to them about it being their responsibility to keep their voices down while with their friends lost the ability to reframe- I should have used a technique where I set out Red, Yellow, and Green cups on each table. The kids understand how each color correlates with what their noise level should be at their table. It’s hit or miss sometimes as to whether these techniques work.

I also haven’t been able to spend as much time directly with my students due to the fact that my student teacher has been here (this also made it difficult to get the time to film me teaching a full lesson. We have been giving him the teaching time or team teaching). Friday was his last day, and I have just really started getting my full class back this last week. I’m pleased to be getting back to what I love most, rather than being a substitute for so many other classes while he was teaching.

 

Class from the perspective of my friend “C”- This is how I would imagine he processes during my class and what he is learning while in my room:

Yeah free sit. I definitely want to sit by her during demo. I wonder if she will notice that I changed seats. I’m blue, I’m blue, it’s my job, yes I get the paper first. Oh, this is so cool. Hmm, I want to use this green crayon to create my texture. Get every little corner covered. “Mine is all Done, what now?” oh, I don’t need this crayon anymore, I’m going to throw it into the box. Oh man she brought more over, I was done, okay I’m going to put more on my picture.  Mrs. Schotte, I’m done, look… I’m really board just sitting here. Okay now I’m going to draw a bunch of rectangles… why am I drawing all these rectangles, I wonder what they are for? Let’s put one here and another one, a big one here. And I’m done! Woo now I can get my scissors, let’s see I want the orange ones. (sigh) does she ever slow down or stop talking? Why did I choose the seat by Mrs. Schotte. Wow look at all these rectangles, gosh I’m getting sick of cutting. Why did  I make so many rectangles. Okay I’m done, yes. Where do I put my scraps? Oh here in the box.   Yes, I can help pick up all the boxes of crayons. Let’s see how many boxes I can pick up at once, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.   Wow these textures are interesting, look this one looks like a snake skin, but it’s in the wrong place and so is this one- here I will fix this. (now putting my name on my paper) lets set out all of my rectangles. Hey that’s mine (neighbor argues that it is hers) no give it back to me! (Now Mrs. Schotte is involved-“C let’s look through our pile and find one that has this same color and pattern on it)  I know I have more, look for it, find it… oh, here see Mrs. Schotte , this one has green on it and then this one has red on it. No it is mine (Mrs. Schotte- C this one doesn’t look like it belongs to yours, it matches perfectly to K’s) NO IT’S MINE… Uh, she’s so mean and doesn’t understand, it’s mine… what why is she keeping it, that is stupid. I look at my neighbor- great this is all your fault. Opps, Mrs. Schotte wasn’t supposed to hear that.  Oooo I like that picture what a cool city. Oh, that’s what the rectangles are for cool I’m going to put one here and then this one here (Mrs. Schotte makes everyone at our table stop while she is doing a demo) I don’t want to wait- she needs to hurry up I know what to do. Finally she is done; keep gluing I have to be first one done. (I continue to glue quickly). Ha I’m done! Where does this go? Oh the drying rack. Yes time to wash tables, who cares that it’s not my job. Woo it fun to run around the table with this washcloth, I wonder if it will fly all the way off the table… Yes, it even hit the wall…Oh, she saw that. (I walk over to Mrs. Schotte) No it’s not my job, I don’t know why I threw it, okay fine I’ll get in line. I love being the line leader. What now she is telling Mrs. Somogye about it all, oh man a red card, no fair. I’m glad I’m leaving.

Later that week a student asks C what are we doing in art he responds, “We are making these really cool cities and you get to use these bumpy things that make different designs on your paper, they were really fun!”